A refinery town's housing stock

Pasadena grew with the ship channel, and most of its housing was built between the late 1940s and the 1970s for refinery and petrochemical workers: single-story brick and frame houses on slab, three bedrooms, modest lots, built quickly and in volume.

Seventy years on, that stock shares a predictable inspection report. Slab movement on Gulf Coast clay, deteriorated cast iron sewer lines, galvanized supply piping, original electrical panels, aluminium branch wiring in the later houses, and HVAC that cannot hold a Pasadena August. Many are now rentals with a decade or more of deferred maintenance.

Flooding, and where it comes from

Pasadena floods from rainfall rather than from a single river. Vince Bayou and the local drainage network back up in heavy events, and Harvey put water into a great many houses here. Some were repaired, some partly, and some not at all.

For a house in a mapped flood zone, the substantial improvement rule can require a heavily repaired structure to be brought up to current floodplain standards, which is why so much of that repair work stopped halfway. We buy at any stage, including where nothing was started.

Industry next door

Proximity to refineries and petrochemical plants is a fact of the Pasadena market. It affects buyer appetite, and it occasionally affects insurance and diligence on parcels near industrial sites. It is part of our assessment rather than a reason to pass.

It also means a large share of the housing is rental, occupied by workers on shift schedules. Those tenancies transfer with the property at closing, so an occupied sale needs no eviction and no vacancy.

Pasadena property we buy

  • 1950s through 1970s slab-on-grade tract houses with original systems
  • Homes that flooded in Harvey, at any stage of repair
  • Houses with slab movement or undocumented pier work
  • Cast iron sewer lines and galvanized supply piping
  • Single-family rentals, occupied or vacant, paying or in arrears
  • Houses with unpermitted additions or enclosed garages
  • Vacant houses with open City of Pasadena code cases
  • Inherited houses where the estate was never opened

Frequently asked questions

Do you buy Pasadena houses that flooded in Harvey?

Yes, at any stage of repair, including houses where the work was never started.

Will you buy a house with slab movement?

Yes. Movement is normal in Gulf Coast clay. Send any engineer's report you have.

Do you buy rentals with tenants in Pasadena?

Yes. The lease and security deposit transfer at closing, so no eviction is needed.

Does being near the refineries affect your offer?

It is part of our review as it would be for any buyer. It does not stop us from buying.

Do you buy houses with cast iron sewer line problems?

Yes. It is one of the most common reasons an older Pasadena house cannot be financed.